It’s another edition of our weekly recruiting roundup and the regular season is coming to a close for USF’s Class of 2020 prospects. Some are gearing up for deep runs into the postseason while others are putting the pads on for one final time under the Friday night lights.

ICYMI, Dodge City C.C. WR Da’Quan Bailey-Brown decommitted on Monday. Let’s check in a handful of the remaining #20Strong prospects.

Valdosta (GA) QB Tate Rodemaker

Starting it off in south Georgia this week where Tate Rodemaker and his No. 3 Valdosta Wildcats were involved in a wild Region 1-AAAAAA shootout with No. 4 Lee County last Friday, ultimately falling to the two-time defending state champions 53-50.

Tied at 50 with less than a minute left, Valdosta muffed a punt that allowed Lee County to get the ball back deep in their own territory. After working the ball deeper into the redzone, the Trojan kicker Austin Beaver ultimately booted a game-winning 20-yard field goal as time expired to hand Valdosta their second loss of the season.

Rodemaker had an excellent outing in the setback, going 19-of-24 for 326 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Our friend Will Turner of Bulls247 was at the game...

With a chance to clinch the two-seed out of Region 1 in the Class 6A playoffs, the three-star quarterback will lead his Wildcats into Northside Warner Robins for the regular season finale this Friday.

Ocala Trinity Catholic OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis

Merriweather-Lewis and his fellow linemen helped running back Jamarian Samuel have a ridiculous day on the ground at Calvary Christian in Clearwater last Friday night, but it wasn’t enough with the Warriors escaping with a 35-28 win.

Samuel ended up running for 356 yards on 41 carries and two touchdowns while also housing a 99-yard kick return.

With a 7-2 record, the Celtics still sit pretty as a top-ten team in Class 3A with the postseason looming. Their previous win came over Victory Christian Academy on Oct. 19 for Senior Night.

MML and Ocala Trinity will close the regular season this Friday on the road when squaring off with fellow #20Strong prospect AJ Hamilton and his playoff bound Dunnellon Tigers.

Lake City Columbia QB Jordan Smith

Lake City Columbia ATH Marquez Bell

Lake City Columbia LB Le’Vontae Camiel

Inching up I-75, the Lake City Columbia trio and their Tigers hit a bit of a rough patch since the last time we checked in on them, suffering back-to-back losses to Jacksonville Lee and Delray Beach Atlantic.

They bounced back last week with a 48-23 wrecking of Middleburg, a game where Smith connected with Bell for twon touchdown passes.

Columbia came up just short of claiming the District 6A-2 title but are still ranked sixth in the state. They’ll close the regular season this Friday when hosting North Marion.

Gainesville DT Gentle Hunt

Hunt and his Gainesville Hurricanes were able to finally get into the win column since the last time we checked in, a 48-0 rout of Middleburg on Oct. 11.

However, the blows kept coming as they suffered a pair of back-to-back losses to Wakulla and Jacksonville Lee to fall to 1-8 on the year.

Leading Gainesville in tackles for loss, Hunt and the Hurricanes will close their 2019 campaign at crosstown Eastside this Friday.

2020 Verbal Commits

• Tampa Gaither LB Chance Coleman
• Braden River RB Brian Battie
• Gainesville DT Gentle Hunt
• Lake City Columbia QB Jordan Smith
• OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis, ATH Marquez Bell, LB Le’Vontae Camiel
• Daytona Beach Mainland RB Taron Keith and DeLand CB Ben Knox
• Valdosta High School QB Tate Rodemaker
• The Villages Charter School DB Mac Harris
• Dunnelon DB AJ Hamilton
• Ft. Lauderdale American Heritage OG Khristopher Love
• Port Orange Atlantic LB Ty Berrong
• Wauchula OT Evan Webster
• Deerfield Beach CB Christopher Townsel
• Pahokee LB Frankie Burgess